Feed device



Feb. 20, 1940. E. FfHARMoN 2,191,153

FEED DEVICE l Original Filed Deo. 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oN n ffm... Jzz f Ww Feb. 20, E. E; HARMoN .2,191,153

FEED DEvIE Original Filed Dec. 413, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1| Jael J2e I1' lll" ly l l wlw u@ f J A265 i122 8 la, airway 1 c l UNITED STATES `shaft Patented Feb. `20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE FEED DEVICE Edward F. Harmon, Flushing', N. Y., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware 24, 1938, Serial No. 186,620

s claims. (ol. 19a-426) This is a division of my application for patent Serial No. 54,301, filed December 13, 1935, which has issued as Patent No. 2,135,751.

` The principal objects of vthis invention are to provide for the feeding of a toothbrushv or otherbrush with the bristles encased, if desired, in an envelope of cellulose, water-proof paper or the like,` and to provide means for turning the brushes endwise during the feeding of the brushes into a machine and guiding them into the open tops of envelopes, or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. `1 is an elevation of the brush feeding-in mechanism, constructed in accordance with this invention; l Fig. 2 is a plan of a part of an auxiliary drive connected therewith;

Fig. `3 is an end View of the same, as indicated by the arrow 3in Fig. 2;

Fig.v 4 is a plan of the feeding-in chute for the brushes as indicated by the arrow 4 in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the brush tilting means, taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig.`1;

Fig. 6 is a plan Lof the lower part of the stop for the brush, taken in the direction of the arrow E in Fig. 1;

Fig. 'l is an elevation looking in the direction `of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a plan `showing the connection for driving, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

In order to feed brushes, especially toothbrushes, into the machine which is the subject matter of my original application, Serial No.

54,301, the power for operating the feed is ob- `circumference of` the disc |24 engages concave surfaces |29 on a wheel |29 also fixed to the |21. This constitutes the remainder of the Geneva motion. The disc |24 has a notch |28 to` permit the intermittent rotation of the wheel |29. l

It will be seen that the constant rotation of the shaft |2| with its discs results in rotating the disc |25 and therefore `the shaft |21 intermittently through a quadrant, in the form shown. Then the disc |24 holds the wheel |29 in the sta-` tionary position until `the roll |23 runs into the next not-ch |25. At thattime the wheel |29 is released and allowed to rotate by the shaft.

The brushes which are to be packagedor sealed are brought in by any ordinary endless` conveyor 220 having projections 22| for engaging the bristles at the lower "end and carrying the brushes up to a guide 222. This guide consists of two separated rails inclined in such a Way that when the brush drops off the conveyor 220 over its upper-guide wheel 223 they will fall into this v guide and be carried down by gravity.

At a point along the guide the sliding motion of the brushes down the guide is interrupted by a pair of alternatingly moving stops 224. These stops reciprocate in one of the rails and across the guide. They are connectedwith an oscillating lever 225 which is operated by a slide 223.

`reciprocates the two stops 224 alternately and stops each brush at this point. As each brush `is released from these two stops it moves by gravity down to the position shown in Fig. 1, at which point the lower end of the handle of the brush enters a trough 240. This trough has a stopping surface 24| which prevents this end of the brush moving further. The brush swings down and falls off the end of the rails 222 and necessarily tips over into the position `shown in dotted lines in Fig. `1.

The brush enters a guiding device 242 which l has a front door 243 latched in position by a latch 244. In tipping over the brush hits a spring 245 to check its motion and enters between a pair of converging walls 240. At the bottom of this hopper formed by these walls is a vibrating stop 241 actuated by the rod 235 on which it is mounted. This stop is for the purpose of preventing morethan one` brush starting down into a brush chute together. This directs the brushes into the machine described in my said original application.

. Thus a toothbrush or other brush is fed up by the conveyor, hanging by gravity from the bristle end, and reversed into the hopper which feeds it by gravity do-wn into the machine with its handle end up.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited vto the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. The combination with a pair of rails in inclinedv position, of means for introducing brushes with the vhandles depending 'between the rails and the bristles supporting the brushes on the rails, a shaft, a cam on said shaft, a slide movable by the cam., asup'port, a rod extending upwardly from the support and oscillatable on v movable by the cam, a support, a rod extending upwardly from the support and oscillatable on its own axis, a pair of stops extending in between the rails, means connected with said rod for oscillating said stops alternately to stop the line of brushesI down the rails and separate them, a hopper in position for receiving the brushes from the rails, and an arm xed to said rod to oscillate therewith and located at the bottom of the hopper, the parts being so located as to cause said arm to stop the brushes in their further ladvance and time them so `that they will be discharged from the hopper in the proper order.

3. The combination with a pair of rails in inclined position, of means for introducing brushes with the handles depending between the rails and the bristles supporting the brushes on the rails, a shaft, a cam on said shaft, a slide movable by the cam, a support, a rod extending upwardly from the support, said slide constituting means for oscillating the rod on its vertical axis, a hopper into which the brushesv are discharged from the rails, and an arm Yon said rod and oscillatable with it and arranged to move into the hopper to stop the brushes at definite intervals.

el. The combination with a pair of rails in inclined position, of means for introducing brushes with the handles depending between the rails and the bristlessupporting the brushes on the rails, a rod extending upwardly, means for oscillating the rod on yits vertical axis, a hopper into which the brushes are discharged from the rails, y

and an arm on said rod and oscillatable with it and arranged to move into the hopper to stop the brushes therein at definite intervals.

5. The combination with a pair of rails ,in inclined position for supporting brushes, a rod ex-4 tending upwardly, a pair 'of stops extendingrin between the rails, means connected with said rod for oscillating said stops alternately to stopthe line of brushes down the rails and separate them, a hopper in position for receiving the brushes from the rails, and anV arm xed to said rodto oscillate therewith and located at the bottornfof the hopper to stop the brushes in their further advance and time them so that theywill be discharged from the hopper in the proper order.

6. The combination with a pairof rails in Vinclined position, of means for introducing brushes with the handles depending between the rails and thebristles supporting the brushes on the rails, a vertical 'rod oscillatable on itsown axis, a pair of stops extending in between the rails from the same side, and means connected with said rod for oscillating said stops alternatelyto stop the line of brushes down the rails and sep,- arate them. v- EDWARD F. HARMQN. 

